Pump



May 6, 1952 D. H. REED 2,595,540

DEi/IPS'ON H. REED. l, i 1Q1 INVENToR.

ATTORNEYS.

May 6 1952 D. Hf REED 2,595,540

PUMP

Filed Aug. 16, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 bm l i;

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DEMPSON HREED. I N VEN TOR.

BY OLmAQQM/k ATTORNEYS.

May 6, 1952 D. H. REED 2,595,540

' PUMP Filed Allg- 16, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 i 56 I o 5 A55' 54 r DEMP SON H. REED. 4 INVENTOR l Cl mm @we t if' w1 QQ. mail ATTORNEYS,

D. H. REED May 6, 1952 PUMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fled Aug. 16, 1946 DEMPSON HREED l INVENTOR. BY im (SQQzMk ATTORNEYS.

May 6, 1952 D. H. REED PUMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 16, 1946 "HE- mf? I .IIIII will Illlu Isn..

DEMPSON H REED.

INVENTOR.

6.02am IASE wl/Lm L'ORNEYS,

Patented May V6, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE PUMP Dempson H. Reed, Houston, Tex.

Application August 16, 1946, Serial No. 691,028

The invention relates to a low steam pressure hydraulic mud pump which is particularly adapted for use in circulating the drilling mud in the rotary method of drilling wells whereby a high eiiiciency low steam pressure is utilized in applying a high pressure to the mud being pumped.

In the drilling of wells by the rotary method of drilling, it is necessary that the drilling nuid be pumped int-o the drill stem and discharged from the bit at the bottom of the well and sufcient pressure applied thereto to circulate the mud upwardly to discharge from the well.

With present day practices where the wells are drilled from-10.000 feet to 15,000 feet in depth, it is not uncommon to maintain pressures from 1,500 to 1,800 pounds per ,square inch of drilling mud being pumped intov the well. If deeper wells are drilled, higher mud pressures will be required. The`vol11me of mud being circulated approximates 400 gallons per minute so that it may be said for purposes of illustration that a high pressure pump having the above volume of circulation is desired.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a pump wherein relatively low steam pressure can be applied to a plurality of cylinders to effect movement of an actuating liouid so that the volume of a number of such cylinders can be combined to provide the high pressure operation of the mud end of the pump.

Another obiect of the invention is to provide a pumping assembly including steam cylinders, a companion number of power cylinders which discharge actuating liquid to a master cylinder which in turn operates a mud cylinder.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cross head in a pump rod so as to permit compensation and equalization of the movement of a series of such pump rods.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an air cushioned cross head which will allow for compensating movement of the steam piston relative to the power piston in a steam operated pump.

Still another obiect of the invention is to provide a cross head in the pump rod of a steam engine which will permit movement of the steam valves to wide open position by the time the power pistons begin their strokes.'

Another object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic `pump assembly including a master cylinder having connections to combine the discharge. and suction of a plurality of smaller power cylinders so as to concentrate the power in the master cylinder.

Still another object of the invention is to prei-'- vide an automatic control mechanism for mul'- tiple cylinder pum-ps so that the timing ofthe movement of the several pistons may be controlled.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation with certain parts' in section, showing the steam end and power cylinder of the pump assembly.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with certain parts in section illustrating the master cylinder which is connected to the power cylinder and which figure constitutes a continuation of the pump assembly of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 isa s'ide elevation with certain parts in section of the mud end of the pump and is a continuation ofthe assembly of-Fig. 3. y

Fig. 4 is-an end elevation looking at the mud end of the pump in Fig. 3. y

Fig. 5 is an end elevation looking at the ste'a end of the pump and looking at the left end of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section illustrating the arrangement for combining the suction and discharge of the power cylinders and is taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line '1 -I of Fig. 9 and illustrating an arrangement of the suction and inlet of two of the power cylinders. Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 Vof Fig. l.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view looking down on the entire assembly illustrating various parts in section and diagrammatically to show the general arrangement of the assembly.

Figs. 10 and 1l illustrate a mechanism connected to the cross head .assembly in order to control the operation of the multiple cylinder.

Having reference to Fig. 9, the assembly generallyineludes the steam end `2, a multiple cylinder power portion 3, the master cylinder 4, and the mud end 5.

All of these parts will be assembled together and each section may be mounted on skids so that the several portions of the pump will be portable.

Beginning with the steam end as shownin the left hand side of Fig. l, the skids I0 carry a support ll upon which the steam end- 2 is mounted. There are two of these steam ends arranged side by side and each includes a pair of steam cylinders l2 which are surmounted by a steam chest I3 which houses the steam valves.

The steam inlet is through a pipe I4 into the steam chest, the outlet is at I5 and the cylinders I2 are known as double acting cylinders in that the piston I 7, see Fig. 9, in each cylinder will have steam applied to it alternately from opposite ends so as to reciprocate the pist-on rod I8.

The rod I8 passes through a stung box I8 on the inner end of the steam cylinder I2 `and has a cross head connected thereto. This cross head is best seen in Fig. 1 as including a housing 2| in which a piston 22 is arranged for move-- ment. This piston is in turn carried by the power piston rod 23. It might be said that the rod portions |8 and 23 form a continuous rod in which the cross head 20 provides for a certain amount of compensating movement of the rod 23 relative to th rod I8. The cross head housing 2i will be moved by the steam piston I1 and rod I8 so as to compress the air in the chamber 24 in the housing. Such movement of the housing actuates the steam valves to the wide open position and continues until sufficient pressure built up to indicate movement of the piston 22 and the power rod 23. The return movement is the same.

The rod 23 passes through a stuing box on the end of the cross head 20 and also one on the power portion 3 and particularly into the power cylinder 2'I thereof. This power cylinder has the piston 2S movable therein and fixed to the rod 23. As seen in Fig. 9 there are four of these power cylinders and each is a double acting cyl inder in that suction and compression will occur through the opening 29 at the right hand end and through the opening 30 in the left hand end. There are no valves in this power assembly and the liner and openings or passages 29 and 38 will be lled with a suitable liquid which will be designated as actuating or power liquid because it is merely moved back and forth into and out of the cylinders 21 due to the reciprocation of the pistons 28.

As seen in Fig. 9 the power cylinders are arranged in pairs as are the steam cylinders and each pair is timed to operate in the same manner as is well known in the steam engine art.

Fig. 7 shows the passages 3| and 32 which are arranged to accommodate the suction and discharge of the opposite ends of one of the pairs of power cylinders 2I. Thus the volume of actuating liquid moved through each of the passages 3| and 32 will be that of .two power cylinders. The timing of the two pairs of power cylin ders 21 will be described later.

The second pair of power cylinders 2l have the discharge pipes 33 and 34 which are best seen in Fig. 6.

The Y 35 seen in Fig. 9 combines the now or the pipes 3| and 33 while the lower Y 36 best seen in Fig. 6 combines the ow of the passages 32 and 34.

The single end of the Y 35 connects with a conduit 39 leading into the master cylinder 4 as best seen in Fig. 2. A11 of the passages 3|, 32, 33 and 34 carry closure valves such as 4i), as seen in Fig. 2.

The upper Y 35 discharges into the left hand end 4| of the master cylinder while the discharge from the lower Y 35 moves into the conduit 42 extending to the port 43 at the right hand side of the master cylinder. The master cylinder has a liner 44 therein which receives the master piston 45 mounted on the master rod 45.

The stuing box 48 forms a seal about this rod as it passes through the supporting structure 4.9 and into the mud end 5 of the pump assembly.

4 The liner 5e receives the piston 5| which is affixed to the master rod 45 for reciprocation. It will be apparent that the master cylinder is substantially larger than the power cylinders and is so designed that it has the capacity of four power cylinders.

The mud cylinder as best seen in Figs. 3 and 4 has a pump deck 53 therein so as to provide for the inlet of mud through the inlet pipe 54 into the inlet chamber 55 where it will be drawn into the pump cylinder, at opposite ends through the inlet valves 56.

The upper deck 5l of the pump carries the outlet valves 53 as seen in Fig. 3, by which the mud is discharged from the cylinder and moves through the outlet 59 to be discharged at 68 from the pump under high pressure. A surge chamber 6| and a relief valve 52 may be applied to the mud end.

In Fig. 2 a balancing means has been shown for balancing the volume of power liquid on the opposite sides'of the master piston 45 and includes a chamber 'I8 having a quantity of Such actuating or power liquid. The check valves 'EI on one side and 12 on the other side are connected into the cylinder. It seems obvious that if some actuating liquid has leaked from the system, that it will be drawn from the check valves into the respective ends of the cylinder on the suction stroke.

In Figs. l and 8 the steam valve assembly is shown in the form of an upstanding bracket which carries a rocker shaft 8|. 'Ihe linkage 82 aiiXed to such shaft is connected by the valve rod 83 to the valves inside of the steam chest which have not been illustrated because the construction thereof is well understood.

A rocker arm 54 is aixed to the cross head housing 2| on the back piston rod of the first pair so that movement of the housing rocks the shaft 8| and rocks the steam valve. A second rocker shaft 85 is aixed to the rocker arm 86 and this in turn is connected to the cross head 20 of the front steam piston rod as best seen in the sideelevation of Fig. 1. Rocker arms 84 and 88 are usually of telescoping construction as seen in Figs. 1 and 8 to permit sliding movement when cross head 20 is reciprocated. A connection 8l joins the two rocker shafts 8| of the two pairs of steam cylinders and by adjustment thereof, the valves will maintain the proper timing.

A particular advantage o1 the arrangement herein described is the compensating construction embodied in the cross head 28 because the steam valves are operated in accordance with the movement of the cross head so that when the cross head starts to move, the piston 22 does not necessarily move, depending upon the resistance-to movement against the piston 28 in the power cylinder. The air or fluid in the chamber 24 will be compressed as the cross head moves to the right as seen in Fig. 1, and the movement of the valve rod 83 actuates the steam valve to move it to wide open position.

A full pressure of the steam is thus applied to the piston rod I8 prior to or during the time the air in the chamber 24 is being compressed against the piston 22. In this manner the full steam power is applied to the steam piston and such full power is available to initiate movement of the rod 23 to move the power piston 28. The same is true on the reverse stroke due to the air chamber in the cross head housing 2|, which is on the opposite side of the piston 22.

In order, however, that the steam end may operate uniformly and keep the opposite pistons moving in properly timed sequence and direction, a control mechanism or stop means has been provided in the form of a link 90 mounted on a shaft 9| so that such link will snap down due to the spring 92 as seen in Fig. 1.

A gear tooth portion 94 is arranged as best seen in Figs. 1, 10 and 11 in such a manner that movement of the toe 95 oi the link will cause tilting of the gear 96 which is in engagement with the Atooth 91 of another similar link 98 arranged-fon the back piston rod 23 and extending oppositely of the link 90 as best seen in Fig. 8. Each of the rods 23 of the pair h-as a collar 99 thereon which is so arranged that when the pison rod reaches the right hand end of its stroke, as seen in Fig. 11, it will lift the toe 95 and allow the link 90 to drop ,in behind the collar as best seen at |00 in Fig. 10. There are tWo of these link arrangements, one for each of the piston rods 23, and they will operate alternately with the leaf spring -92 normally urging the link toward the rod. The adjusting screw IDI determines the amount of drop of the toe 95 so as to equalize they length of the strokes. This equalizing or catching action may be adjusted.

In view of the fact that the piston rods 23 of each pair have the collars 99 thereon, it seems obvious 4that one rod will be retained against reversing its direction of movement until the companion rod reaches the end of its stroke in the opposite direction because of the opposite arrangement of the links 90. In this manner the timing of the pistons will be maintained, irrespective of the fact that the cross head provides for compensating movement of the rods 23.

The operation of the invention seems obvious and the particular advantage thereof is that a high pressure may be applied to the mud or other liquid being pumped by means of a relatively low pressure source of steam. This is accomplished by operating a plurality of low pressure steam' cylinders and pistons to actuate a like number of power cylinders whose output is in turn combined into one large master cylinder which operates one large mud piston.

What is claimed is:

1. A low steam pressure hydraulic mud pump comprising a steam end having four cylinders, a double acting piston in each cylinder, valves to control the admission of steam to the cylinders, a piston rod operable by each piston, a compensating cross head disposed on each rod, means connected to each cross head to actuate said steam valves, a power section, four power cylinders therein to correspond to said steam cylinders, a double acting piston in each power cylinder and connected to said rods, inlet and outlet ports for each end of each power cylinder, an actuating liquid in said power cylinder to be surged by said pistons, conduit means connected to said power section to combine the discharge from said power cylinders into two connections from said conduit means, a single master cylinder, a double acting piston therein, a balancing means joining one of said two connections to each end of said master cylinder so that liquid leaks in said master cylinder will not cause loss of the power of the four steam cylinders as applied to said master cylinder, a mud end for said pump comprising a single cylinder, a double acting piston therein, a piston rod connecting said master cylinder piston and said mud cylinder piston, and valves for said mud cylinder.

2. A steam actuated mud pump comprising a steam end, a power section connected thereto,- an actuating liquid movable by said power section, a master cylinder connected to said vpower section and actuated by the movement of said actuating liquid from said power section, and amud end to effect pumping of mud by actuation from said master cylinder, said steam end and power vsection each having two pairs 'of corresponding cylinders and pistons connected-by piston rods, each of said rods having a steam end and a power end and a plurality of cross heads, one of said cross heads being with each rod, each cross head including a cross head housing connected to the steam end of eachof said rods anda cross head piston slidablein said cross head housing, said power end of each' rod being connected with each cross head piston,'and said cross heads providing a'compensating connection between said steam end and said power section.

3. A steam actuated mud .pump comprising a steamr end, valves in said steam end, a power section connected to said steam end, an actuating liquid movable by sai-d power section, a master cylinder connected to said power section and actuated by the movement of said lactuating liquid from said power section, a mud end to eiTect pumping of mud by actuation from said master cylinder, said steam end and power section each having two pairs oi corresponding cylinders and pistons connected by'piston rods, each of said rods having a steam end and a power end, a plurality of cross heads, one of said cross heads being with each rod, each cross head including acrosshead housing connected to the steam end of each of said rods and a cross head piston slidable in said cross head housing, said power end of each rod being connected 4with each cross head piston, and said cross heads providing a compensating connection between said steam end and said power section, and means operable by movement of said cross head housing of each of said cross heads to actuate said valves of said steam end.

4. A steam actuated mud pump comprising a steam end, a power section connected thereto, to effect movement of an actuating liquid movable by said power section, a master cylinder connected to said power section and actuated by the movement of said actuating liquid from said power section, and a mud end to eiect pumping of mud by actuation from said master cylinder, said steam end and power section each having two pairs of corresponding cylinders and pistons connected by piston rods, and a control mechanism including a set of links to coordinate the movement of each of the piston rods of each pair by checking the movement of one rod of each pair until the other rod of that pair rea-ches a predetermined position.

5. A steam actuated mud pump comprising a steam end, a power section connected thereto, an actuating liquid movable by said power section, a master cylinder connected to said power section and actuated by the movement of said actuating liquid from said power section, and a mud end to eiect pumping of mud by actuation from said master cylinder, said steam end and power section each having two pairs of corresponding cylinders and pistons connected by piston rods, and a control mechanism including a set of links to coordinate the movement of each of the piston rods of each pair by checking the movement of one rod of each pair until the other rod of that pair reaches a predetermined position, said control mechanism also including a collar on each rod, said links being connected and arranged to be engaged by said .collars so that one rod may not reverse `its vdirection :of movement until the other rod reaches the end of its stroke and is also in position to reverse its direction of movement.

6. In a steam oper-ated mud pump having a mud end, a. master cylinder, a power section to pump a liquid to actuate said master cylinder including two pairs of power cylinders, and two pairs of steam cylinders to effect actuation of the power cylinders, and means to coordinate the operation of each pair of steam and power cylinders including stop means to restrain one. power cylinder from beginning a reversal stroke until the companon power cylinder completes its stroke.

'1. A steam actuated mud pump comprising a steam end, a power section connected thereto including a plurality of liquid pumping cylinders, an actuating liquid in said cylinders, a single master cylinder, conduit meansconneoting the plurality of power cylinders to said single master cylinder to consolidate the delivery of actuating liquid from the power cylinders to the single master cylinder, a mud end including a mud cylinder, -a piston therein and a rod extending to said master cylinder to actuate the piston in said mud cylinder, and mud inlet and outlet connections to said mud end.

8. A steam actuated mud pump comprising a steam end, a power section connected thereto including a plurality of liquid pumping cylinders, an actuating liquid in said cylinders, a single master cylinder, a conduit means connecting the plurality of power cylinders to said single master cylinder to consolidate the delivery Vof actuating liquid `from the power cylinders to the single master cylinder, a mud end including a mud cylinder, a piston therein and -a rod extending to said master cylinder to actuate the piston in said mud cylinder, and mud inlet and outlet oonnections to said mud end, said steam end and said power section each including two pairs of corresponding cylinders and pistons connected by rods.

9. In a steam operated mud pump having a mud end, a master cylinder, a power section to pump a liquid to actuate said master cylinder including two pairs of power cylinders, and two pairs of steam cylinders to effect actuation ofthe power cylinders, and means to coordinate the operation of each pair of steam and power cylindersincluding an adjustable stop means to restrain one power cylinder from beginning a reversal stroke until the companion power .cylinder completes its stroke.

' DEMPSON H. REED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are' of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

